In today’s complex health care system, providers who can deliver affordable, accessible care stand out. And, when those providers can partner with each other to reimagine how health care is delivered, patients benefit. That’s why when Maple Health Direct Primary Care was looking for a partner to offer patient-centered imaging to their patients, choosing Lumina made sense.
Maple Health was started in September 2022 by Richard Berry, M.D. Dr. Berry, a former British Royal Marine who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, first came to the U.S. to do his residency at MetroHealth. After graduating, he joined a busy physician practice affiliated with Lake Health. Dr. Berry cared deeply for his patients, but began feeling like he was doing them a disservice. With more than 2,100 patients, the average wait time to see him was eight months. Same-day visits were not an option, and only being able to devote 15 minutes to each patient left Dr. Berry feeling like the care model was not only unfair, but also unethical.
So he decided to do something about it. And Maple Health was born.
Maple Health is a direct primary care (DPC) practice. With DPC, patients are guaranteed to always see their doctor, with less waiting time and longer appointment times.
“I spend an hour with each patient,” Dr. Berry says. “I answer my own phone and respond to my own messages. Patients have access to me for questions and concerns.”
Maple Health, like other DPC practices, is membership-based and doesn’t accept insurance. When a patient has a doctor visit, there is no copay or fee applied toward their deductible. The visit is covered in the membership fees. Maple Health also has an onsite pharmacy stocked with the most common prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. And if there is any need for labs, imaging or other ancillary services, Dr. Berry and Maple Health ensure you know the full cost of those services before you commit to them, so there are no surprises.
Patient-focused Partnerships
Dr. Berry has been establishing partnerships with other providers to give his patients discounted prices when they need care beyond what he provides. For example, a local gastroenterology practice offers Dr. Berry’s patients a cash discount. And he formed a partnership with Lumina, though Lumina’s services are already discounted compared to the same services provided by a hospital system and didn’t require further discounting.
The Lumina partnership made sense because, like Dr. Berry, we believe in making sure it’s easy and quick to get in and see us.
“I was attracted to Lumina because we’re focused on the same thing: affordability and access—and not making it out-of-reach for patients,” says Dr. Berry. “Lumina provides a fair price for great service.”
Dr. Berry feels confident sharing this with his patients as he’s been a Lumina patient himself and was pleased with the private setting, quick turnaround, and friendly, helpful staff.
As a physician, he has found the coordination of care with Lumina to be top-rate.
“Their coordination is excellent, with a high rate of care and contact,” he says. “With strong communication, transparent billing and knowledgeable staff, they get things done for the benefit of the patient.”
More about Dr. Berry
After his military service, Dr. Berry completed three years as a paramedic outside of London before attending the University of Leicester Medical School in the United Kingdom. He completed two years of post-graduate training in England before moving permanently to the United States and starting his residency training at MetroHealth in Family Medicine. He graduated residency in 2018 before joining University Hospitals, formerly known as Lake Health.
